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Lately I’ve been feeling that my body is aging rather quickly. I know I’ve always been an optimist, but as I progress in my 60th year and into my sixth decade, I’ve noticed my body is shifting and I want to make peace with it.

My Cholesterol Is Rising
“My cholesterol has gone up more than 50 points since last year,” I said to my BFF M. “It’s at 297. It’s my genetic makeup.” “Mine is really high too,” said M. “Mine is hereditary too. I’m not worried about it,” said M. I wish I could make peace with it like M.

“I’ve tried two different statins,” I told Dr. S at my annual physical. “Each time I have muscle problems.” “We usually try three different statins and then if it doesn’t work we’ll have to see what’s next,” said Dr. S as she wrote the prescription for a low dose of pravastatin. “Your HDL, the happy cholesterol, is really good at 86. Your LDL at 189 is high.” She also recommended I try CoQ10 as a supplement to help with any side effects.

I so wanted the pravastatin to work. After three nights of pills, my muscles were weak.

I exercise each morning on my stationary bicycle, do yoga, and try to get in my thousands of steps each day. I’ll do more cardio. Maybe that’s it. I’ll work out more to lower my LDL. There goes my emoji again sending more LOL signals. Make peace with it Judi, make peace.

Looking Back On My 50s
As I get ready to tackle my next decade, I can’t help but think of all I’ve accomplished during the past 10 years. When I started blogging my year to 50, I was a newbie. I never dreamed that my 49th year would be one of the most extraordinary years of my life. Losing my spouse at the end of 2007 turned my world upside down. The grief and loneliness I felt during that period was overwhelming. But thanks to the support and love from family and friends, I came through that period and I’m here to say it’s now lovely on the other side.

Many of you, my dear readers, have shared my life after 50 transformation journey with me. From losing my spouse, to selling my house, to emptying out my nest, it’s been a wild ride. From buying my condo on the corner at the Jersey shore, to mastering online dating and meeting my boyfriend L, to leaving my full-time job and saying good-bye to my mom, I’ve weathered ups and downs along the way.

Oh yes, yes, yes, how could I forget creating an award-winning blog and becoming a yoga instructor too. It’s been nice to be able to pursue my passions instead of a paycheck since retiring from my full-time corporate career.

It’s time to celebrate my 60th birthday!

Looking Ahead To My 60s
Pondering my 60s, I wonder what life has in store for me during the next 10 years. Sometimes I wish I could look into a crystal ball and ask. Other times I want to be surprised.

My new journal says it all!

When Oprah turned 60 a few years ago, she said, “We go through life discovering the truth about who we are and determining who has earned the right to share the personal space within our heart.”

These words ring especially true for me. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to celebrate my 60th birthday with several of my close girlfriends. Many of them were at my 50th celebration. I feel blessed to have such incredible long-term friendships with such talented, caring women. These women “share a personal space within my heart.” So do my long-distance girlfriends who could not be there, my daughter A and son D, my boyfriend L, my sister N, and other family members. My late husband M is always tucked inside my heart as well.

My close girlfriends helped me celebrate my 60th birthday.

From Grief To Gratitude
“One thing I know for sure,” stealing another phrase from Queen Oprah, is that I am so grateful for all that I have and all that I am able do at this point in my life. Continue reading →

When I was growing up in the Bronx, NY, I loved going to the public library. My mom and I would walk across Mosholu Parkway from our home. Mom would go food shopping – which took a long time since she had to go to the butcher, the bakery and the supermarket. I went to the library, where I headed straight for the new book section, opening the crisp covers, reading the flaps, flipping the printed pages. I’d stack the books – six was the limit – check them out one at a time – and carry the pile in my arms to meet up with mom.

To this day, new books still excite me. That’s why I so enjoyed attending the 2017 Book Expo at the New York Javits Center earlier this month. The Expo is an annual event where publishers showcase new books. From Simon & Schuster to Hachette, Workman, Penguin and more, I walked every aisle to see each publisher’s offerings.

What’s Hot In The World of Books?
Now that I’ve finally finished combing through my notes and all the catalogs I collected, it’s time to share the themes and trends that caught my attention. Are you ready for what’s hot in the world of books? Note that some of these books may not be available until later in the year.

Here’s the scoop:

Mindfulness and Yoga With A Dosage of Happiness
If you’re not being mindful or you’re not happy, not to worry because there are hundreds of books (or maybe more) to bring you into the present and make you joyful. As a yogi, I was pleased to see that these topics are trending, yet not sure how I would find time to practice if I spent all my time reading. Here are some titles to choose from:

♥Mindfulness On the Go – “a set of 52 cards and a 64-page illustrated book, all in a flip-top box with an easel to display your mindfulness cards.”

Ever since I’ve been on Twitter, @johntarnoff has been following me. He retweets my blog post almost every week. Who is this nice person, I wondered? I clicked on his Twitter handle and saw that he has more than 97,000 followers and is a super handsome, sixty-something, former Hollywood entertainment executive.

Wow-o-wow!

John Tarnoff is also a very smart reinvention career coach, speaker and writer for baby boomers. He holds a B.A. magna-cum-laude from Amherst College, and a M.A. in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. He grew up in New York and Paris, and lives in Los Angeles. (All my favorite places, another reason why I like him.)

John Tarnoff is author of “Boomer Reinvention.”

John has been reinventing himself for much of his forty-year career. In fact, he has just written a book called Boomer Reinvention: How To Create Your Dream Career Over 50. His publicist sent a copy to me. The book won high praise from noteworthy boomers such as Arianna Huffington, CEO and Founder of Thrive Global; Ken Burns, filmmaker; and Richard Eisenberg, Nextavenue.org, so I am pleased to share some highlights with you. (Note: Be sure to enter my Rafflecopter Giveaway below to win a copy!)

Statistics Set The Stage For Second-Acts
According to the 2014 Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, 65% of baby boomers working plan to work past age 65 or do not plan to retire. And 68% of Americans age 50-64 are worried about not having enough for retirement. (Gallup, April 2014). “Yikes,” says John. “Most boomers will have to work through their 60s and many even into their 70s. But that’s why I wrote Boomer Reinvention — to help boomers create sustainable second-act careers that are appropriate, authentic, meaningful and purposeful.” Continue reading →

Last week, I had a chance to share my reinvention after 50 during an interview with Mary Rogers from Experience 50 – The Podcast. It’s an audio show that as Mary says “Kicks Your Midlife Into Gear.” It was my second-ever podcast and a change of pace from the written word.

An Experienced HostMary is a a mentor, entrepreneur, entertainer and former talk radio host with over 3,000 interviews under her belt including celebrities and public figures. Since launching Experience 50 – The Podcast, Mary says ” I’m enjoying having real conversations with real people about their stories, life lessons, pivots and also with topic experts who can provide the information they need as they navigate changes that come with balancing a bucket list with grown kids and aging parents.”

Mary Rogers is the host of Experience 50 – The Podcast.

To quote her website: “With The Experience 50 Podcast and Experience50.com, she is rapidly expanding her following of highly motivated midlifers looking to make the most of this life and have an awesome third quarter. From teaching confidence building skills to sharing tips on how to gracefully become an in-law or grandparent, Mary just has a way of making the road to change smoother and a helluva lot more fun.”

Reflecting on a Decade of Change
Mary asked me to reflect on my decade of reinvention from 49 – 59, after losing my spouse, selling my house, emptying out my nest and retiring from my full-time job. During our conversation I talked about how I used my yoga and mindfulness practice and blogging to successfully transition into my second act. I spoke about the role of gratitude, about making new friends, and working with a coach to help me make the right choices.

Next month will mark four years since I retired from my full-time job.

As a former New Yorker, I love exploring new cities whenever I travel. That’s why I so enjoyed my first visit to St. Petersburg, Florida. St. Pete has the best of both worlds – the beautiful beaches on the Gulf Coast and St. Pete’s vibrant downtown that’s filled with great restaurants, shops and cultural destinations. If I ever decide to spend my life after 50 winters in a warmer climate, I could definitely see myself residing in St. Pete, or a Florida city nearby.

A sampling of downtown St. Pete.

The downtown area is very close to Pass-a-Grille, where my boyfriend L and I stayed at the Inn on the Beach. (Did you read my first post about all the things to do in Pass-a-Grille? If not click here.) By car, it’s only about a 20 minute ride. We found parking to be inexpensive — it cost only $5 to park in the garage on Saturday. You can also grab a trolley from Pass-a-Grille to downtown which takes about 45 minutes.

The Inn on the Beach in Pass-A-Grille, St Pete, Florida.

A Best-ever Cuban Sandwich
One of our first stops for dinner was Bodega on Central Avenue, suggested by a member of the @VSPC Tourism team. The corridor is filled with a diverse selection of hip and cool small businesses run by entrepreneurs. Bodega was voted “Best of the Bay” for their Cuban sandwich, which is exactly what I ordered.

It was OMG, OMG, OMG, the best Cuban sandwich I’ve ever eaten. L ordered a roasted pork platter with plaintains, which was so, so good too. Bodega is known for their freshly made juices, a trend that I found all over Venice Beach, California last November as well. We sampled two different varieties with ingredients like ginger, turmeric, carrots and apples. I would recommend sharing a sandwich and juice if you go – it was way too much food for L and me to consume for dinner.

Best-ever Cuban Sandwich.

Delicious pork and plantains.

To Market, To Market
On Saturday we headed back downtown to experience St. Pete’s Saturday Morning Market, held every Saturday, October – May from 9 am – 2 pm. It is the largest fresh market in the Southeast US. There’s food, crafts, and music. It’s so much fun. Continue reading →

January 2017 marks the 10th year since I started blogging. A decade has passed since I typed my first blog post capturing my countdown to my 50th birthday. Times have changed but one thing remains constant — boomer women continue to do amazing things.

Some may say that as women age we become more invisible. I say that we’ve only just begun to shine. While we may not be celebrating a female boomer in the White House in 2017, we are a very large community of strong women, estimated at 38.44 million in the USA. As Girlpower Marketing CEO Linda Landers says, “Today’s 50-plus females are the healthiest, wealthiest, most active and influential generation of women in history.”

Meeting Arianna Huffington and becoming a contributor to The Huffington Post was a blogging highlight in 2013.

My Countdown To 50
I began blogging in 2007 as an easy way to capture my thoughts and feelings as a boomer woman approaching her momentous 50th year. Little did I know that my countdown to 50 would turn out to be one of the most extraordinary years of my life. Halfway through the year, my husband M took ill. During almost seven months while he was in the hospital, my blog posts became my outlet to share the overwhelming fears that engulfed me as my husband began to drift away. My community of readers became my salvation. I couldn’t wait to get home from the hospital each night to read your emails and comments. Your support made all the difference in helping me survive during that tumultuous time.

From “Loneliness to Loveliness”
My husband M passed away shortly before our 24th anniversary and two weeks shy of my 50th birthday. I was a widow at 49, The loneliness was deeply felt and I wasn’t sure how I was going to lift myself up. Continue reading →

As a blogger, many books pass my desk for review. One that caught my eye this season is Hello Someday by Kobi Yamada and John Christianson. It’s a gift book to inspire and celebrate retirement. It’s from Compendium, one of my favorite publishers of motivational gifts and journals. (Note: Read to end for Rafflecopter giveaway.)

I retired from my full-time career in my mid-fifties and wish I had this book to guide me. According to the publishers at Compendium, “In the next 15 years, more than 20% of the U.S. population will be over the age of 65.” That means a lot of baby boomers may be retiring. However, just because you are retiring doesn’t mean you can’t pursue other passions.

That’s where Hello Somedaycomes in. It offers an optimistic attitude about retirement with questions and activities to get you thinking about and designing the next chapter of your life.

“Hello Someday” makes a great gift for a future retiree.

I enjoyed this book so much that I asked if I could interview one of the authors. I wanted to know more from those who created Hello Someday. Co-author John Christianson shared his thoughts: Continue reading →

“My note is to tell you about Janes Wellness Gowns, something wonderful, that offers women over 50 comfort, style, and dignity when they need it most,” wrote Sharon Linder, the founder of GetJanes.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Since October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought I would take Sharon up on her offer to showcase her social entrepreneurial efforts that help women during their medical journey. (And offer a giveaway for a Janes, see below!)

It’s also an approrpriate time to remind you, dear reader, to make your appointment (if you haven’t had one) for your yearly mammogram. Boomer women are often caregivers to others, yet when it comes to nurturing themselves – they tend to let it fall to the bottom of the list. Am I right? Admit it! Last week, I wrote about getting a bone density scan to help take care of your bone health. That’s important too.

Female entrepreneur Sharon Linder created Janes Wellness Gowns.

I like to feature female entrepreneurs like Sharon who are doing interesting things during their life after 50. I interviewed Sharon to find out more about why she created GetJanes. Here’s what she said: Continue reading →

“First, we’ll stop in Ghent, the second largest city in Belgium,” said our tour director Fred. “We’ll have a walking tour of the city, you’ll have a few hours to enjoy lunch, and then we’ll continue on a 3½ hour drive to Wyndham Apollo Amsterdam Hotel, your lodging for two nights before you embark on the Rhine.”

We stopped in the university town of Ghent, Belgium, on our way to Amsterdam.

A Guided Tour of Ghent
“Ghent has 65,000 students. It’s a big university town,” said our guide Charline. She shared stories dating back to the 14th century as we walked the cobblestone streets and visited an old meat house, now a restaurant and bar, where hams were hanging to dry. She showed us special wood frames designed for Quack beer glasses. “After a few beers you see pink elephants,” said Charline.

Our tour guide Charline showed us an old meat market, now a popular bar with Belgian beers.

Charline took us to the Cathedral where the Mystic Lamb is on display. We saw the replica and the original 12 panel altarpiece, which is currently being restored. If you ever saw Monuments Men with George Clooney, the artwork was one of the masterpieces captured by American soldiers after the Germans hid it during World War II (WWII).

The Ghent Cathedral and copy of the Mystic Lamb masterpiece.

My boyfriend L and I enjoyed our brief visit in Ghent.

Arriving in Amsterdam
My boyfriend L and I had never been to Amsterdam and were excited to explore what the guidebook said was a “city of charming canals, elegant gabled houses, splendid museums, and abundant bicycles.” I couldn’t wait to see and experience it all.